Are you struggling to fly or to find a place to live due to no pet policies?

Do you feel that having a pet while flying or
in your residence will help alleviate your chronic stress,
anxiety, and/ or depression?

How It Works

All individuals seeking an Emotional Support Animal prescription must complete an online medical examination consisting of 74 questions. It takes anywhere from 15 – 20 minutes to complete so please make sure that you are ready to fill it out and move forward, since you won’t be able to save your exam and come back to it later.

You can begin the exam by clicking on the “online medical exam”tab located in the main navigation menu or by clicking the “get started now” tab below.

Potential patients should keep in mind that if the evaluating medical doctor does not feel comfortable writing you a prescription for an emotional support animal, then you will receive a same-day refund. Refunds are granted only to those who are not approved by the evaluating physician.

After completing your online exam you will be required to make a payment and choose a treatment plan that best applies to you. If you need an ESA letter for housing, please choose the housing plan. The entry level housing plan is called the “care plan” and is 159.00. If you need a letter only for travel, then please choose the travel plan for 149.00. If you need documentation for both, you will need to select the Compassion Plan for 199.00, which will cover both travel and housing. Regardless, you must submit payment at that time or your exam will not be processed.

The Dogtor reviews your exam & you’ll receive a notification within 48 hours if approved or not. Approval is typically the same day on a normal work week. In the event that the Dogtor needs to do a further evaluation he may want to speak to you over Skype. However, it’s very rare.

All individuals who have submitted an online exam will hear back from the evaluating physician within 24-48 hours. The doctor will email you from this or her personal email address to the email address that you have on file, so please make sure to check spam folders and wait patiently for the correspondence from the M.D. A doctor may ask you more questions about your exam so please be prepared to provide further details if they want more info in order for them to make an informed decision. Usually these questions are about asking for more clarity or that you have been vague in answering a specific question.

As stated in Step 3, if the doctor does not approve you, you will receive a same-day refund. However, in the event that you are approved, you will receive your emailed PDF copy of the prescription letter typically on the same day. You will also receive a courtesy hard copy that will be mailed to the address that you have on file when taking the online exam. The hard copy take a few business days to arrive, depending on where you are located in the USA.

FAQ’s

What is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?

An Emotional Support Animal, or ESA, is an animal that provides support and comfort to its owner to help them with an emotional disability or mental health issue. Since ESAs are not required to have any special training, they do not qualify as service animals under the the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Emotional Support Animals are, however, recognized for certain housing and commercial airline access under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA).

Does my pet qualify as an Emotional Support Animal?

If your pet’s companionship helps you with an emotional, mental or psychological disability then yes, they qualify. ESAs do not require specific training to be able to provide comfort or emotional support.

Can I qualify for more than one emotional support animal?

Yes. There are no laws barring multiple emotional support animals. Understand, however, that the requirements of reasonable accommodation are the same for each animal and a licensed mental health professional would have to prescribe multiple ESAs. Depending on the number and type of emotional support animals you have, reasonable accommodation could be challenged as an undue burden on the entity being asked to make accommodation for your ESAs.

I have a large dog. Do Emotional Support Animals have a size limit? Are any specific breeds excluded?

No. Any size or breed that you can properly handle can be an emotional support animal. There is no size discrimination allowed when it comes to emotional support animals, and there are no dog breeds excluded.

What if I don’t qualify for an ESA?

If, following a review of your assessment by a licensed mental health professional, you do not qualify, you will receive a same-day 100% refund. That’s the DOGtor guarantee.

What is the difference between an ESA and a service dog?

An emotional support animal offers love and companionship to ease an emotional disability or mental health related disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. An ESA does not need specific training. ESAs are protected under the Fair Housing Amendment Act (FHAA) and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA).

A service animal is highly trained to assist its owner perform specific tasks, such as seeing, hearing, or walking. Service animals are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

While ESAs are allowed in primary rental housing and commercial airline cabins, service dogs are allowed to accompany their owner almost anywhere they go including public buildings, restaurants, banks, airplanes, hotels, supermarkets, etc.

How do I register my emotional support dog?

You do not have to register your emotional support animal. All you need is a valid ESA letter from a mental health professional detailing your needs for an ESA. There are no legal requirements fo you to register your ESA in any database.

Do emotional support animals require training?

While service animals must have specific training, emotional support animals do not. You are, however, encouraged to train your ESA to behave well in a public setting.

Does my emotional support animal need an ESA vest to travel or live with me?

No. There are no legal requirements that your emotional support animal display any indication of the ESA role. Many ESA owners, however, chose to have their ESA wear a vest or other identification to make their ESA more easily identifiable in public places. Under no circumstances should your misrepresent your emotional support animal as a service animal.

If approved for an ESA, is my ESA allowed to be taken in the cabin of airplane when traveling?

Yes, but we always recommend that you check with the airline you are planning to fly with first, just to make sure you have a clear understanding of what is needed so there aren’t any surprises at check in. Although the airline has to offer reasonable accomodations, there are limits. For details check out Flying with Your Emotional Support Animal.

Can I bring my emotional support animal to hotels?

Your rights to have an ESA are only protected within your primary rental housing and/or in the cabin of an aircraft when flying. Current laws do not require hotels, motels, restaurants, busses, trains, and taxis to accept emotional support animals on their premises. There are, however, hotels and other businesses that are pet friendly. Call ahead and ask the management about their policy with ESAs. They might allow an ESA for an extra fee or other requirement. If they do not allow animals, they might have suggestions for a comparable businesses that will.

What if my emotional support animal destroys property or creates a disturbance?

Emotional support animals, as all assistance animals, must be handled properly by their owner. You are responsible for behavior of your ESA and for damages they may cause. Understand that landlords and airlines can use any destructive, aggressive, or disturbance causing behavior by your ESA as the basis for denying your request for accommodation.

If I have an ESA letter can I avoid paying a pet deposit?

Yes. With a proper ESA letter, your landlord cannot charge you additional rent or require an additional pet deposit for having an emotional support animal. You will, however, be responsible for any damages caused to the property by your ESA.

Can I just have my primary care doctor write an ESA letter for me?

Yes, you can ask, but be aware that many primary care doctors don’t fully subscribe to the benefits of an animal being used as medical treatment. Most primary care doctors have been trained to treat emotional and psychological disabilities in different ways, such as prescription drugs. Also, many doctors are not well-versed on what property managers and airlines may legally require in a prescription, so their letter might not be written properly and be denied.

Does the DOGtor work with licensed professionals?

Yes. We only work with medical doctors, therapists, and clinical social workers who are licensed and in good standing with the medical board in the state in which their license was issued.

Will my letter come from the DOGtor?

No. We are a referral service so, if approved, your ESA letter will come from the prescribing mental health professional who reviewed your medical questionnaire submission. Your ESA letter will come on their official letterhead with their contact and medical licensing information.

Can my ESA letter be easily verified?

Yes. A landlord or airline can directly contact the licensed professional who approved your ESA. All of their contact information (phone, fax and email address) will be included on your letter.

How do I pay for my ESA letter?

You can pay with American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa, whichever you prefer.

How much does an ESA letter cost?

The DOGtor has 3 different pricing options, so you can customize our service to your needs. One option covers only housing, another covers only travel, and the third, and most popular and cost effective plan, covers both housing and travel.